Supplements and minerals - advice?

[catherinep]

I have always been lucky enough to have excellent grazing until this year......my horses are all looking a tad in need of "something" - they do not need more hard food but they are all licking everything/anything - I suspect they are in need of some minerals/vits. I have not ever fed Top Spec/Blue Chip etc before - is this the answer? or a field based mineral lick? (which one??) they are all carrying plenty of condition and out 24/7, except for the pony, who is in at night to keep an eye on his weight and he has 1/2 slice of hay to keep the wolf from the door.

I know that there are all sorts of scientific advances in this area these days, so would appreciate your thoughts on this one. I have a 17.2hh warmblood, a 16.1hh medium weight cob and a Dartmoor widget....

Makes me realise how lucky I have been all these years on proper old fashioned horse pasture, with all the right herbs and things on the land.....

Feeding in the field is not a good policy as the cob is a hooligan, but a lick would be great??? or I can, obviously bring them in to feed them indoors.

Thanks!

Catherine

 

[gemmaw]

i always stick to using cow mineral licks from the local feed suppliers, they are much cheaper and concentrate on giving the animals what they need instead of making them taste nice!! i checked with the manufacturer that they were ok to use and was told they were fine, it works out expensive if you buy the mineral blocks from saddlers but a big bucket only costs me £8 now!! my horses love it, makes them stop chewing the fence and eating the soil too!!!

 

[catherinep]

Fantastic! thanks for the info.....much appreciated!

 

[MagicMelon]

Personally I wouldnt use a cow mineral lick because I think that cows have different requirements than horses do! I also dont think mine would touch them if they didnt taste nice! But if it works then great!

IMO Id give them a usual horse vit & min block. A large one usually lasts ages anyway. If they're already getting a daily feed then Id prefer to give them an all round vit & min powder in with that. I think thats better than blocks any day because not all horses lick them. One of mine wouldnt touch a block Id bought them and its obviously very hard to tell (without seeing them licking it) who's using it.